Danielle Fernando, RN is a Maternal Risk Manager at Phia Health. She works closely with our team of OBs and Neonatologists to ensure high-risk postpartum patients are monitored, counseled, and escalated whenever needed. She helps integrate AI insights with human judgment. We sat down with Danielle to explore how this role bridges clinical care, technology, and trust.

Q: Danielle, what drew you to this role as a Maternal Risk Manager?

A: When I saw how Phia’s AI risk engine flags concerning postpartum trends like blood pressure spikes, bleeding, or feeding issues, I realized much of that goes unchecked in traditional follow-up. I have spent years coordinating postpartum care, but here I can actively intervene, ensuring risk flags are clinically validated, contextualized, and escalated promptly. It is preventive, not reactive. That is exactly what postpartum care needs.

Q: So what happens on a typical day for you?

A: Every morning, I review the AI-driven dashboard. That includes BP alerts, symptom check-ins, chat responses, and baby-feeding patterns. I triage those alerts. Some get same-day OB or Neonatology escalation. Others require coaching, a mental health check-in, or lactation support. Then I document the escalation logic and communicate back to both patient and care team so nothing slips through the cracks.

Q: What is unique about working as part of Phia’s OB and Neonatology-tied MAM team?

A: Our Maternal Risk Manager team works alongside OBs and Neonatologists right from onboarding. If a risk arises, such as postpartum hypertension, we can loop in OB specialists within the same team. If there is a feeding or growth concern, Neonatologists are available immediately. This closeness means faster, smarter escalation, not a referral to a distant clinician who needs to catch up. It is all integrated.

Q: How do you balance AI insights with clinical nuance?

A: AI might flag a BP trend, but I look at whether the patient is historically hypertensive, whether infant care variables like feeding or sleep are noisy, or whether there has been a recent medication change. If something looks like model drift or a false positive, I make note. If it is legitimate, I escalate with context. I am the human layer that ensures every alert is safe, precise, and meaningful.

Q: What do patients say when you reach out?

A: Most say, "I am glad someone is checking in." That matters, especially in the early postpartum phase when parents feel isolated or overwhelmed. I tell them, "You are not forgotten. I am here watching the data and reaching out if something looks off." Sometimes it is just reassurance. Other times it prevents a trip to the ER.

Q: How does your work ripple across Phia’s model?

A: My notes feed back into ongoing model fine-tuning. If a type of alert keeps looking benign over time, the data science team sees that. If something the AI misses becomes a pattern, we capture that too. It is continuous quality improvement powered by a blend of AI, clinician insight, and structured escalation.

Final Thoughts from Danielle

“The Maternal Risk Manager is not just a triage function. It is a safety advocate. We are the ones who make AI actionable, accountable, and caring. That is the future of postpartum care.”